1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an illuminated fiber ornament which comprises a complete, self-contained ornament or which can be joined in modular fashion to like ornaments to form a multitude of shapes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lighted ornaments delight the public, as exemplified by fictitious figures such as Santa Claus, popularly displayed during the Christmas season, and other items, such as illuminated stars mounted atop Christmas trees. Fiber optic materials are useful to add aesthetic delight to such ornaments. As currently practiced, the shapes of current fiber optic decorative devices are sprays, as dictated by current construction in light of the force of gravity. As with any ornamental device, the availability of one, and only one, configuration is a drawback. The popularity of the simple spray dwindles as the novelty of its appearance wears off.
Fiber optic filaments may lack rigidity, since they are made from a material selected to provide a compromise between rigidity and efficiency of light transmission. Typical fiber optic ornaments bind the fiber optic filaments together at one end and leave the opposite end unrestrained. This type of construction results in a fiber optic ornament of spray shape, wherein the unrestrained end portions of the fiber optic filaments droop responsive to gravity.
Introducing rigidity to individual optic fiber filaments would allow for the creation of optic fiber ornaments of permanent and specific shape, wherein the collective ends of radiating optic filaments define the outer boundary, and hence the shape, of the ornament. With such construction, the number of possible shapes to be created becomes virtually infinite.
Exemplary of such fiber optic sprays are U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,385, issued Nov. 30, 1971 to Lamar J. Wall, U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,186, issued Mar. 5, 1991 to Lorraine Cocca, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,431,410, issued Mar. 4, 1969 to B. J. Dolan et al. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,376, issued Oct. 16, 1973 to Sadacca et al, discloses a Christmas tree illuminated by a multiplicity of optic sprays. Further effects are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,917, issued Jun. 27, 1978 to Robert E. McCaslin, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,495, issued Jun. 3, 1980 to Robert E. McCaslin, these patents disclosing, respectively, a fiber optic spray device which is rotated and a fiber optic spray device in which the optic spray fibers reciprocate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,045, issued Mar. 21, 1978 to Nakatsubo et al, discloses bundling of a plurality of flexible optic fibers to provide strength against bending. Nakatsubo et al. also discloses coating the bundle of flexible optic fibers with an opaque coating, preferably a resin coating, the purpose relating to limiting escape of light from the fiber. Flexibility of the bundle and rigidity of individual fibers are unaffected by the opaque coating.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.